Careless Whisper: George MIchael Live

When you look at my itinerary of live shows, you'll see a variety of genres and tastes. When I told people I was going to see George Michael in concert, I also got a variety of reactions. George Michael? Why?

George Michael has been making music for over 25 years. From Wham! and throughout his solo career, he has made music that is full of soul and given the listener a sense of freedom. Although the songs are catchy and pop, that doesn't take away from the fact that he has more talent than most flash in the pan acts that have come and gone in the last two decades. He can still sell out Stadiums. He is an icon. His last few albums may not have made radio airplay, but his music is not for the mainstream. It represents people who want to dance, have freedom, and sing along.



July 14th, at the Toyota Center, I got a chance to be just a few feet away from George Michael, as he sung and danced his way through hits, old and new. His smile could be seen miles away. He even wore his signature shades and dance moves, which never get old. To be expected, the stage production was over the top. The band played in between three screens, on two levels, and there were six back up singers. The screens flashed patterns of light and fragments of old music videos and even a glimpse of Dita Von Teese doing burlesque during a jazzy number.

He covered all the major radio hits, except for I Want Your Sex and Wake Me Up Before You Go. Even his less familiar songs were fun which made me feel like I was at a gay club. I wanted to take off my shirt and rub sweat all over myself. Seriously. After three encores, he asked the audience, "What do you want to hear?" Everyone screamed, "Freedom!!" And after two hours and a 20 minute intermission, George waved to the crowd and walked off stage, probably to smoke a joint. Everyone knows about his love of cannibus.



At first, I thought the concert was going to be a nostalgic show, but it was not at all. His song choice was as diverse as his audience. I was surrounded by all kinds of people. I had Michael Douglas's cousin on my right, some coked up Colombians behind me, and a reject woman who never left the house before that kept spilling her drinks all over everyone. Only at a George Michael concert could we all live in harmony.

George Michael put on an energetic and passionate show. He still has all the moves! And his voice is so smooth. It was a classy show with an amazing performer, worth the money.